The Light that Blocks the Darkness
by livesinthesea
Summary: About a girl who wakes up in the Glade, a little compound sorrounded by a maze. She's different, she's feisty, smart, athletic, and selfless. How does she touch the hearts of each glader, and how does the Glade change?
1. The Glue

**Newt's POV**

"Newt?" I hear called. I sigh, but quickly inhale and stand up, walking out of my room. Leaving the door open behind me, I walked down the crooked stairs, making quite a lot of noise. At the base I see Alby standing with Minho.

"You need me?" I answer, looking between them. "And Minho- why are you here?" That's odd. He was supposed to be running today, with either Ben or Jake.

He smirked, and I instantly regretted asking. Bloody hell. I set this up.

"You want me gone, Newt? Your baby boy?" He laughed. I scowled. Alby rolled his eyes.

"The greenies coming today, and he'll be Minho's responsibility," Alby said.

I couldn't help it. I laughed. "Minho? He doesn't even know what responsibility is."

Minho stood up even taller, puffing out his chest.

"I don't recall a time I've not handled every situation with care and expertise," he said concisely, looking at me pointedly. I smirked. He looked really, really weird.

"Okay, you two will be **jointly** responsible for this sucker. Newt, if you don't think Minho is a fit, you should help him." And with that, Alby walked out of the Homestead and towards the lookout tower.

Minho and I looked at each other, instantly feeling guilty. We both know Alby only goes there when he's depressed, scared, or just tired. That's his spot- where he goes to find peace from the stress of managing the Glade. No one, except for the Greenie on their first day, is allowed to go up there.

"He'll be fine, Minho," I said, seeing Minho's puzzled expression. "Just, ya know, dealing with a lot."

Minho nodded. At that moment, the annoying alarm for the Box rang.

"We have a job to do, come on." I said, walking towards it. I wasn't in a hurry. The box came up around 20 minutes after the alarm went off.

I looked around the Glade, in all its glory. I saw the gardeners stand up, stretching their backs and wiping the dirt and sweat from their faces. They started walking over, too. I would be joining them soon, as a Track-hoe. Well, when Minho and I finished the tour for this shuck.

The builders, working on the bunk area, put their hammers down too, following suit.

I got to the Box first, and waited. Right now, the door panels were closed flat. In about 15 minutes, they'd slide apart, revealing a new, terrified, crying kid.

We all came up like this. I remember being confused, and really scared. It took me about five days to stop crying. I couldn't do this. I couldn't see another kid crying, like I was. My leg started to hurt, where my limp is. Shuck. I had changed so much, but I was still so helpless, so afraid. If anyone else died, I think I'd jump again. Living in this hell is bad enough, not being able to talk to anyone was worse. My leg was killing me. Newt. Stop. It's okay, I told myself. Stop. STOP.

"Newt?" Minho asked. I looked over at him. He was kind of freaked out.

I cleared my throat, feeling the panic swell down. After a second, I answered.

"Yeah? What's wrong?"

Minho narrowed his eyes, questioning my newly calmed demeanor. "Ummmm," he said, looking me right in the eyes, obviously uncertain. "I guess, uh, it's nothing anymore."

By this time, other boys had joined us. I looked away.

"Good," I replied shortly. I had to not show feeling. We had to be strong for everyone else. The keepers, the ones in charge, we had to be strong.

It's not like we didn't have feelings. At night, I would hear the boys crying, or I'd see them walk into the Deadheads to have more privacy. If I saw a boy crying, I would look away. That's not something we were supposed to see.

In that way, I guess the Glade is somewhat heartless.

Besides Minho, no one jokes, no one really talks either. We kinda just argue over bloody nothing, do our jobs, eat, and repeat.

We can't afford affection. That wall, with the names? Those people are dead. They were my friends. Nick? Tyler? They were good guys. I cried for days when they died, the same day. Nick died trying to jump down the box and Tyler was stung.

That's why we don't care. Or, we pretend we don't.

I heard snippets of conversation from the boys around me. They were trying to guess the shucks reaction, when he came up. They weren't trying to be mean, it was kinda the only form of entertainment we had, besides the monthly bonfire.

10 minutes.


	2. The Leader

**Minho's POV**

After about five minutes, I was about to leave. I really do get bored easily, which is kinda weird, because all I do is run. But running is different, I breathe, think, and I feel like I'm helping the Gladers, even though I found out long ago that the maze doesn't have a solution. I haven't told any of them, except Newt and Alby, because I can't let the little guys be as depressed and hopeless as I am.

But I couldn't leave. For some reason, I was curious about the new guy. Keeping on my bored, exasperated look, I checked my electric watch, and exhaled dramatically.

I often think about what the Glade would be like with girls in it. Not romantically, per say, but... more about their point of view, the way they express their emotions better than guys do, how they know how to support and care about others. I don't remember any girls, I don't remember anything, but I hope someone cared for me, maybe even loved me. I tell myself someone did, when I'm in the maze with nothing else to think about, but did they?

Did someone tell me about their day, complain about annoying people they had to deal with, then we'd laugh about it? Is that how it works?

How do you talk to someone you love? I guess maybe you'd... you would talk about your feelings, and then they would share theirs.  
Would I have been a good choice? Did I make sure they were happy, safe? Did I walk with them, spend hours talking? Did we hold hands, or... kiss?

Did someone even love me? My parents? I did have parents, I'm almost sure of it. My parents love me, though, right? I mean, I am in this weird prison, and I'm stuck here, but do you think they're cheering for me whenever I'm in the maze, searching for a way out?

Maybe I did have a choice. She was probably really pretty. And nice, kind, smart. I wish she was here with me. That would make it better.

Wait- no. Of course I didn't want her to be stuck here, like I was! Why would I say that? She would be miserable here.

I sighed. Three minutes.

Gally came up to me.

"So you're in charge of this one?" He asked.

"Yeah, with Newt." I answered, staring straight at the box cover, speaking in a monotone.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him narrow his eyes at me, but he probably realized I didn't want to talk to him.

Gally's a headass. He really is. The thing is though, he looks out for his Builders, and he knows when somethings up. About a year ago, I hurt my ankle running, and had to stay in the Glade for a day. In that one day, in less than 8 hours, I overheard Gally comfort four different guys. Four. He was working on the medjack hut, and through the walls I could hear him tell a kid to stop working, breathe, and get a glass of water from Fry. His voice was really weird when he was talking to them. I'd even describe it as soft.

I still hate him, though.

I checked my watch again. Shuck! One minute. That's it. I hate to see the little guys come up. I don't want to do this! They cry, scream, sometimes they klunk their pants. It's sad, embarrassing, and funny, but it reminds when I came up. I hope this guy isn't annoying.

It's time.

We see the box lids slide up, then Gally and Newt cross onto the crate top and open one side, leaving half of it exposed. The guys around me all lean forward, while I subconsciously lean back. Why isn't there sniveling, crying, or screaming? Was there even a Greenie in there?

Newt opens the other, I guess because he assumed the greenie was underneath the second side.

And when he stands back up, he freezes.

His back tenses up. Gally walks right behind to see. The rest of the guys crowd around to the far side of the box.

What's going on? What's with the Greenie?

 **PS. The maze/outside world takes place in a dystopia, and in this world instead of "partner" or "soulmate," people refer to their lovers as "choices," because love is not only a feeling but a choice one makes in life.**

 **Thanks for reading this! It's my first book and I would really appreciate feedback!**


	3. The Sighting

**Newt's POV**

When I had pulled back the other side, I straightened, steadying myself on the grated surface of the Box. The Greenie was standing, which was surprising. Usually, they sit or lie back on the ground, because the cage rattles a lot. Plus, usually they're scared.

The Greenie was covering his head with his sleeves, which also concealed his hands. I guess the light was really bright, especially after being in the dark.

After a sec, he brought his arms down.

Or, _she_ did.

The first thing I noticed was her eyes. They stared at me, and in the sunlight, I could see they were gorgeous- but they weren't one color. I wasn't even that close to her, yet I could still see how alive they were.

I looked at her hair, with it's blondish-brownish color, that went halfway down her back. It was shining, and it looked so soft. I got this weird feeling- almost like I wanted to touch it or something.

She was beautiful. Not like the pretty or cute kind, she was the kind that makes you stop and stare. Her lips were full, and glossed. _I want to kiss her_. Her pale skin was like a creamy porcelain. She was beautiful. You couldn't believe something this perfect existed. I didn't.

She had an hourglass figure, with a tiny waist accentuated by her simple white V-necked t-shirt paired with denim skinny jeans. She wore dark brown boots, which ended halfway up her leg.

A sliver of her chest shown through the top of her top. She ran a hand through her hair, and I noticed she wore a silver ring. Her hands were dainty and they looked really smooth.

Feeling my face grow red, I cast my eyes down, embarrassed. I had been staring at her, looking her up and down. The last thing I wanted to do was make her uncomfortable, I was just shocked. This didn't excuse my behavior, and I clenched my teeth until my mouth was sore for objectifying her and staring at her body when I should've reassured her that she was safe.

That's when the boys started shouting.

"Newt, what is it?"

"I can't see!"

"What's the Greenie like?"

"Slinthead. You're screaming in my ear!"

I looked back at them, and saw Alby step toward me, Minho shortly after.

"It's a girl," I spoke towards Alby, in the lowest voice I could muster. His eyes widened for a second. Minho basically choked on air, he looked so surprised. I narrowed my eyes as he spluttered before gasping, "what?!"

He shouldered in front of me, and peered down. Alby followed him to the edge.

"Everyone back up." Alby commanded in an authorative voice that failed to mask his confusion at the sight of the girl in front of him.

The opened sides of the crate had been blocking their view. They fell to the ground, and the guys moved forward.

There was silence. I heard gasps.

And then the idiots started to shout out.

"Is she hot?"

"HOLY"

"Can she sleep next to me?"

"On a scale of 1-10..."

"Damn. Wow"

"Dibs! I called it!"

"No! Mine!"

I don't know what came over me. I mean, I did. They were talking about this angel as if she was an object. It was disgusting. My hands clenched by my sides. I swear to—

"ALRIGHT! Shut up, the lot of you! She's a bloody person, not something you can fuck with as you please! If one more person says something, I will make sure they stay in the slammer for a week!" I shouted.

I looked back at the girl. She was still standing.

We locked eyes. It was as if she was saying _thank you_. I nodded, though I blinked at how I was able to understand her message.

I watched as she placed her feet right under her.

Almost in slow motion, she jumped onto a nearby crate, grabbed a hold of the edge of the box, and did a backflip, throwing her body into a circle before smoothly landing on the grass surrounding the box.

The boys nearest her, including myself, stepped back, mouths dropped open.

She was in a crouched position, her hand beneath her knee, steadying herself. She stood up slowly, looking at the sky. Her eyes danced for a second, so quickly I think only I noticed it, as if she was thinking of something really funny. We watched as she turned in a small circle, analyzing every aspect of our Glade with her calculating eyes.

When she has finished, she looked towards us.

One of the guys nearest her -I'm not sure who, cause I really would've kept my promise- said, in this really stupid, awed voice, "You're SO hot."

Glancing at him, the girl, after wrapping her arms around her sides, said, "Actually, I'm pretty cold right now," and faked a shiver, which made the guys, who were, for the most part, still freaked out over her backflip stunt, laugh loudly.

Alby moved from behind me.

"No questions? You're not crying, I notice."

The girl narrowed her eyes, curious, before shaking her head lightly and answering, "Well, I've made some conclusions."

Gally raised his eyebrows. I braced myself for his stupid comment, but I could tell he didn't know what to think. "Do tell."

The girl looked at the Homestead and huts for a few seconds before answering.

"Okay. Well, they're probably not right at all, but I just thought of them when I was in there." She pointed down at the box, then pushed the hair that had fallen around her face over her shoulder. She pursed her lips together before continuing.

"When I first woke up, I was scared when I couldn't remember anything, and I didn't know where I was. Then I noticed I was in a crate-container-Box thing, and I tried feeling around for an exit, but there was none. The box started moving upward, but at a constant velocity, which let me infer that this was being controlled, and was engineered by a reliable group.

After a while, it shook, and I fell onto a bag. I looked it over, and saw that it said WCKD on it. That's when I noticed that every other container said that, too. With this, I guessed that WCKD was an acronym for an organization, and they were responsible for me being in this- this thing.

But when I came up, when I jumped out of the box, I saw the little set up you guys have. So I'm assuming that the supplies keep you sustained, but I asked myself, why would they want you to survive, if they sent me up, and I'm assuming, because the elevator is controlled and meticulously stored, it was an experiment.

Also, when you-" she looked right at me, with her peircing eyes looking me over, and I sucked in a breath, "-opened the door, which only opens from the top, I guessed that WCKD, or something else, has an underground facility around here, beneath this surface level, and they keep supplies there, and send it up routinely, seeing how none of you sounded surprised that someone was coming up when the side was opened. This is also the only way supplies could come up- if the box could somehow turn and tuck under the buildings, so people would throw supplies in from above it. Then they would close it and send it up- to here.

Back to the hut tangent, I see that you guys all cooperate, and even sleep in close proximity, which means you guys act as a family, to thrive. But, over there, I see some kind of jail cell, which means you have order, too. This means that you have a type of governing body, which is impressive." I look over at Alby, and saw that his eyes are wide with shock, eyebrows raised.

The girl continued.

"The second thing I noticed was that opening in the walls. Which means, that wherever that leads is either undesirable, or its also some kind of test, like a trap or something... or maybe, maybe a maze or something like that, that you haven't solved yet.

The sky is also fake, because the clouds are all moving at the same pace, which isn't what it should be, in nature. But that's not really important.

When I was looking at the sky, my name came to me. _Indiana_. I mean, it doesn't really sound right, but that's what I heard."

 _So that's what made her eyes smile._

It's weird that she remembers her name so quickly. On average, it takes about three days. Anyway, the girl, or, _Indiana_ , continued.

"Which brings me back to the memory part. It kind of makes sense, that I can't have my memories. Alby,"

She looked directly at him.

"You asked if I had questions, and you were confused when I 'wasn't crying.' Which means that you guys don't remember things either, or, you didn't, when you came up in this thing, just like I did. It makes sense, because if we're in an experiment, we shouldn't get outside knowledge to give us an unfair advantage against others."

She slowly put her head down, the fingers of her left hand playing with her silver ring. When she lifted her head, I could see flashes of regret and anxiety cross her eyes, though the rest of her face remained stoic.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything, that was probably all wrong," she said quietly, looking at me, then Alby, before glancing around at the boys surrounding her.

It was silent for a moment as everyone soaked up what had just happened.

A guy standing behind me said, not so quietly, mind you, "hot and fucking intelligent, that's a package."

I turned around, but before I could say anything, Minho, of all people, walked over to Rob, I'm guessing he's the one that said it, and towered over him, quietly muttering what I can only imagine to be death threats in his ear, judging by Robs face. I smirked. Punk.

Alby's voice snapped me back to the situation at hand.

"No, uh, Indiana," he said, clearing his throat. "That was, umm... very close to the truth. You even brought up points I never considered. If you could walk with me, please."

Facing the rest of the guys, he shouted, "Alright, back to work, shanks. The days not half over. Lunch is in an hour. Leave us."

The guys walked away, staring at Indiana, whispering. Bloody hell, the looks on their faces. They looked like fierce predators, stalking their next meal. It made me sick.

"Hurry up, slintheads," I snapped, disgusted with their expressions.

The remaining guys picked up the pace, some daring to roll their eyes.

I turned back to Indiana and Alby.

He was looking at the ground, biting his lip, eyes narrowed, obviously thinking things over. She was looking at the gardens, seemingly lost in thought.

She was different than us. She was calm, collected. She had come up in a box, to a place surrounded by walls. I guess the stereotype was that girls are weak, guys are manly. That's not the case here. I cried for days when I first came up. She hasn't shed a tear.

God. If only I knew what she was thinking right now.


	4. The Affection

**Indiana's POV**

Ably has told the boys to leave, and as they did, I looked towards the sky, the huts, my feet, desperately trying to ignore their stares, and pretending I didn't hear their disgusting comments. I finally settled on looking towards the gardens. I wondered how they were irrigated. I had seen a bright light from one of the buildings, meaning they had either electricity or batteries.

Was the water from underground? Did it even rain, if my hypothesis about the sky was correct? Was I right?

I felt eyes on me. Cocking my head slightly to the left, I turned and saw Newt staring at me. He looked so confused, but it was almost like he was, I don't really know. Entranced or something. Against my will, I accidentally giggled, then smiling widely when his face became bright red and he turned away, suddenly interested in the ground by his feet.

Alby snapped his head up, distracted. He looked at me, the Newt and Minho.

"I want to speak with her alone, please. I'll meet ya shanks in a half hour."

To my surprise, both boys started protesting, with Minho's voice slowly gaining volume while Newt narrowed his eyes at Alby, his eyes flashing dangerously, as if he was mad.

".. and I'm supposed to look after her! It's my turn to watch the Greenie! You can't just change-" Minho was yelling, before he got cut off by Alby's annoyed shout of "Alright!"

They instantly quieted.

"Just shut up and let her talk freely. No interruptions."

The pair nodded at him, and he turned towards me.

"Come, let's sit. I have a few questions."

He led me to a tree, which we all sat under, Alby in front of me, Newt to my left and Minho to the right, tucked away from the sun and the boys' stares.

"What do you remember, besides your name?" Alby asked me quietly.

I shifted, tucking my right foot under my left leg, looking at nothing. I bit my lip, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Newt stiffen.

Weird.

After a second of thinking, struggling to remember, I looked up at Alby, defeated.

"Nothing. I'm sorry."

He looked at me disbelievingly, not even trying to hide his suspicion.

Leaning in, he narrowed his eyes, and when he spoke, his voice held anger and frustration.

"What do you mean, you don't? You're saying you just happened to draw 'conclusions' about the Glade after being in it for two seconds? That doesn't happen!"

I flinched back as he finished.

He inhaled deeply, trying to regain himself.

I rolled my eyes, annoyed with his distrust of me.

"I told you, I can't remember anything. Why would I if none of you can? Is it because of my gender? Is it because instead of being a scared little girl, I was able to calm myself down, analyze the situation, and try to think of a logical explanation to all this?"

"No- no."

"Then why?! You don't even know me!" I took a deep breath, closing my eyes in exasperation before continuing. "I don't even know myself! Why can't you believe me?" I whispered, pleading with my eyes.

Alby couldn't handle my gaze apparently, because he looked away, guilty.

I saw movement from the right, where Minho sat, leaning against the tree trunk. I glanced over, and we made eye contact as he lightly touched my knee.

"I have a question, Indi, if you don't mind," he said in a low voice, his eyes soft.

"Her name is Indiana, Minho. Maybe you misheard,"Newt said sharply. I turn around to look at him, and I find that he's glaring at Minho's hand, which rests on my leg.

Why was he acting like this? Was he jealous? God, if he thinks being rude is attractive, he's wrong. He doesn't even know me! He can't be so controlling!

I was going to let him know that, I decided, laughing internally.

I look to Minho, and find that his eyes were cold, hard, and angry. He sees me watching him and turns to hear my answer.

"Actually, I think that name is really cute, _Min_. Those can be our nicknames for each other!"

I hear Newt scoff from behind me. _It's working_.

"What did you want to ask?" I continued.

Newt leaned in closer to me to hear the incoming question.

Never looking away from my face, Minho asked a question I would never forget.

"Are you afraid?"


	5. The Meal

**Indiana's POV**

I froze. I didn't know what to say. Was I? The walls, the perverted guys, not knowing anything, the confusion.

Was I afraid?

I hung my head, ashamed at the lack of prominent feelings in my brain.

"I don't know. I'm confused, but I don't think I'm afraid. It's obvious that WCKD wants us to pass the test. They give us food. They created this whole set up. There has to be an explanation."

Alby and Newt shared a look.

"What?" I asked, slightly irritated.

"There's never been a girl here before."

I raised my eyebrows. "Yes, I noticed. I hope you know how to respect one regardless," I finished pointedly.

Alby nodded. "It's just that... maybe that means something. That you're meant to be-"

"Don't even finish that sentence," I huffed. "I will not be used. I don't know why I'm here either, but it better not be for that."

"How do you know?" Alby had the nerve to question me.

I glared at him, furious. "Because they would've had the decency to send me up to some more appealing mates."

Alby raised his eyebrows, eyes wide, the corners of his mouth twitching up. Minho guffawed, laughing out loud. Newt was silent.

Minho calmed down, still smiling.

"You have a point, Princess."

I smiled and laughed at the ridiculous nickname. I must've laughed too loud though, because I saw the builders working across from us on a little shack turn towards us and smile.

I immediately looked at the grass I was playing with, my face bright red. It put me on edge to know that I was the only girl here. I was trapped here, and for how long?

That's when Newt scooted towards me, and cupped his large hands around my tiny nervous ones, making me look up at him. We were so close to each other. His eyes were a soft brown, and his hair stood up at different angles. He looked deep into my eyes, and I felt so... understood. I don't know how else to describe it.

"Dia," he breathed. I bit my bottom lip in order to keep from closing my eyes and sighing into him. His nickname felt so.. right to me. Like he was supposed to call me that. He looked down at my lips, and he narrowed his eyes.

In a second, he had dropped my hands, but he didn't move from right in front of me. He looked away for a second before facing me again.

"They won't bother you. If they do, tell any of us three. There'll be hell to pay. Minho and I will guard you, we're in charge of you for this month."

I nodded, looking back at Minho, who smiled kindly.

I smiled back, my eyes bright. I really liked Minho.

Alby looked towards the biggest building, his eyes straining. "It's time for lunch. Come on shuckfaces, and you'll skip the line."

Newt and Minho stood, Newt coming towards me to help me up, as I had been staring at the apparent dining hall. But before he could Minho, who was closest anyway, stuck out his right hand to me.

I smiled, suddenly struck with an idea.

I grabbed onto his hand, and as he pulled, I vaulted myself directly at him, landing for a second with both feet on his left shoulder, before expertly diving around his left arm, which had been thrown open in anticipation of catching me, and landing with my feet solidly on the ground right in front of him.

He stared at me, mouth hung open in shock, eyes wide. I giggled, and then started laughing openly when he continued to stare, disbelieving.

"What the hell, Indi! Are you a shucking ninja or something? The fuck?"

I bent over, one hand resting on my stomach, unable to stop laughing.

Minho quickly snapped out of it then, and ran towards me, scooping me up and throwing me over his back as I squealed in surprise. I pounded on his back, still laughing like a maniac, but he wouldn't put me down. He started running then, past a confused Newt and a surprised Alby.

I waved to them, still laughing, as Minho carried me into a now decently crowded mess hall.

The boys instantly stopped talking, moving even. They froze, watching us.

Minho slid me off his shoulder, holding me securely by the waist in case I fell down, due to being upside down for so long. I giggled again, as he smiled down at me.

I could tell my face was flushed red from laughing so much.

"Indi." He laughed. "You're a physcopath."

I laughed again. "And you're a jerk."

A bunch of ooos and applause rose from the ease dropping boys.

Minho ignored them, and rolled his eyes, still smiling. I surveyed the boys sitting around the line. They weren't looking at me- well, granted, a lot were, but most stared over my head at Minho, as if they were shocked to see him smile or something.

Newt and Alby had come in behind us, and now Newt gently stepped towards me, resting his hand on my shoulder. I turned around, and blushed at how close he was to me.

"We should probably get in line, Dia. Don't you want to eat? You must be hungry."

I nodded, smiling to hide my blush. "I'm starving, to be honest. Thanks, Newt."

He smiled, a big, genuine smile. I hitched in a breath, though it was barely noticeable. He was pretty darn cute, I must admit. Especially when he was trying to look out for me. My thoughts were interrupted as he spoke-

"This way, then."

He walked to a side table, picking up a hard plastic plate. He passed it to me, and got one himself. I followed him into the line, behind Minho, who was talking to another guy.

I turned and surveyed the boys, all of whom were staring at me. The boy sitting at the table by the line smiled at me. I returned it, and he called out, "My name's Jim. I've been wanting to be a gentleman and introduce myself."

Newt turned around suddenly, staring at him.

I laughed, answering, "well, you're very dashing, if I do say so myself. Consider yourself the only one who's introduced themselves to me. I've had to guess at theirs." I gestured to Alby, Newt, and Minho.

Newt pretended to look offended. "Dia! I'm so sorry! Oh dear, how can I ever change your first impression of me?"

I rolled my eyes, suppressing a smile. "Too bad, Newtie. It's the only chance you had, and you blew it."

'Newtie' pouted, but didn't protest at his new nickname. Over Newt's shoulder, a burly guy was staring at me, licking his lips like the creep he probably was. We fought in a miniature staring contest before he finally stopped and started talking to the guy next to him.

I turned back to Newt to find he was studying me with a lopsided smile. I cocked my head to the right questioningly as he quirked an eyebrow and turned forward in line.

The line moved up and I stepped forward.

Newt filled up his plate with what appeared to be a piece of bread and a chunk of stew.

I held up my plate, waiting for Newt to finish up and move on so I could serve myself.

"You're the Greenie?" A voice asked me.

I snapped my attention away from Newt's food choices and looked towards the source.

I found him to be a dark skinned boy, about 16 or 17. He had somewhat curly black hair, and eyes that made me smile. I grinned at him. "Yep."

"I heard you had quite the unorthodox entrance to the Glade," he stated smiling, waiting for a response.

"I guess so," I shrugged, laughing.

"Well, let me serve you," he said.

"Oh, thanks! I'm not sure how this works," I admitted.

He glanced up at me and grinned, before going back to stocking my plate with a little of everything.

After a minute, he handed it back to me, saying "enjoy your first meal here."

"Thank you," I replied. "Um, I didn't catch your name. Could you tell me it?" I asked timidly.

"Of course. My name is Frypan. I'm the chef here, obviously." He laughed nervously, embarrassed.

"That's so cool! My name is Indiana."

He smiled. "That's a really pretty name."

I smiled brightly at him. "Thanks."

Newt tugged on my elbow, and I became aware of the fact that he'd listened to the whole conversation.

"Let's sit down, shall we?" He asked.

"Lead the way, Newtie," I responsded.

I followed him to a table in the back corner. As we sat down, Minho joined us.

"My first meal." I said, looking down at my plate.

"We're glad you're here, really," Minho said.

I smiled at him.

"I'm glad I have you two with me. I don't think I could have had better guardians."

Newt smiled at his plate while Minho laughed.

Maybe I could be comfortable here.


	6. The Tour

**Newt's POV**

I studied Indiana's face. She was so pretty, it was honestly bloody distracting. In the torch light of the mess hall, her eyes looked reddish orange. Their brightness was almost artificial.

At this moment, she and Minho were bickering, sarcastically. I stayed out of it. The sass too much for me.

"... and you're just too good for all of us, Princess! There's not much else to it!" Minho leaned in, his eyes quirked into a grin, daring her to respond.

Which, of course, she did.

With her eyes flashing, she quickly refuted him.

"Obviously I'm too good! And I'm a QUEEN, not a princess!" She broke down though, not able to continue this stupid joke. She laughed, settling onto the bench once more.

The shanks around us guffawed and catcalled, and I hear shouts of "you're my queen!" and "I'll kiss your feet if you want!"

I rolled my eyes, glaring at my now empty plate.

"I'm sorry about them, they're just slintheads," I muttered to Dia.

She offered a small smile. "It's fine," she said. "If they want to lick my feet that's on them and their weird fetishes, not me."

We all laughed out loud, glad she wasn't that mad about it, even though she should be.

My eyes drifted to her ring, the one she was fiddling with. "What's that?" I asked.

"I don't know." She looked down, narrowing her eyes in curiosity. "I wish I did, I find comfort in it for some reason."

I nodded, then realized that all of us had finished our meals.

"Well, do we want to start on the tour? That way we'd have free time before dinner, there'd be no rush."

The two of them nodded, and we stood, walking out of the dining area and into the sun. I tried to ignore the wide smiles the guys gave her when we walked by, I knew it would just make me mad.

Once we made it to the Homestead area, we stopped. Minho has never given a tour before, so he looked to me over Dia's head.

I smirked, nodding at him discreetly. "We'll start with the Bloodhouse. That way we'll end on a high note."

Minho nodded, quickly leading the way to the gross shack by the animal pens.

Walking across the glade, I studied Indiana. Her t-shirt literally hugged her body, with her jeans clinging to her legs, her curves on display beneath the tight clothing. She walked with confidence, glancing around the grassy area, studying everything.

As if feeling my gaze, she turned to me, still walking.

She smiled, her eyes laughing.

"Newt?" She said softly.

I gulped, embarrassed at having been caught staring.

"Like what you see?" She questioned, slowing slightly.

I smirked, still flustered, but hiding it well.

"Yeah, the grass is really green today."

She laughed, her happiness echoing around the Glade.

How can one person have such a good feeling about them? She'd literally been here for less than an hour and already had changed our little home so much.

We caught up to Minho, and entered the shack. It smelled horrible, and I immediately wanted to throw up. I avoided this place as much as possible. The dead animals and blood everywhere made me sick.

Indiana just looked around though, as if the sight and smell didn't bother her. Strange.

I guess I thought girls would be grossed out, almost fainting. That's what I guess society expected, so that's what I expected.

But, of course, Indiana was not about to be an expectation. She was too good for that. But her body though- her face, they were what was considered perfect.

Huh.

Anyway, we toured the gardens, which to my delight, she found very interesting. She kept asking questions about irrigation, seed growth, and seasons.

"How do you know when to harvest and plant? Does the Glade experience seasons, or just temperatures? Does it ever rain?"

I laughed. "Bloody hell, Dia. Why can't you just ask normal questions? Like, why the hell are we stuck in a giant cage?"

Dia shrugged. "Just trying to find out the basics. If we know how the cage works, we can escape it."

Seeing the surprise on our faces, she breathed in, closed her eyes, and shook her head.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, looking somewhat tired.

"I just need to find answers. I hate not having control, not knowing. It's so frustrating."

I raised my eyebrows, confused.

"Indi, I get it. That's what I do, I try to find a way out." Minho stepped towards her. "Maybe you'll get us out," he said smirking.

Her eyes practically gleamed with hope, but as she understood his condescending tone, she laughed, smacking his shoulder. "Maybe I will, _shank_."

I smiled, shaking my head.

Minho threw his head back, laughing louder than what I thought was possible. She rolled her eyes in response, smiling, her cheeks turning red before my eyes.

After a few seconds, Minho gasped out, "you- sound... so- so stupid!"

"Hey!" She laughed.

She turned towards me, her eyes seeking a stance.

When I nodded, agreeing with Minho, smirking, she smiled, shaking her head in fake disbelief, as she smiled the cutest smile known to man.

Minho, after calming down, said, "ok, just the Homestead and bunks and we'll be done."

He lead the way towards the 'Homestead' an almost homey-looking structure, that while somewhat tilted and leaning, was obviously well built.

We didn't go inside, I figured she would see it later tonight, to talk to Alby about sleeping arrangements.

Shit.

I couldn't even think of what could happen to her. I wanted her to sleep in the Homestead, away from the rest of the guys. The keepers, maybe all except for Gally and Winston, are completely trustworthy.

God, if any of them touch her-

"So what's it like? Living here? Just working everyday?"

Indiana's voice cut me away from my thoughts.

I turned to her, answering her question slowly and without thinking.

"It's hard. Sometimes it's just so, I don't know. Maddening. We work everyday, just to survive. But, we really don't have a reason to. Survive, I mean. Like, if we can't find a way out of the maze..." I let my sentence drift off. Why did I just share so much? How was she able to find out so much about me from just asking a question?

I felt Minho's eyes on me, than the gaze shifted to my leg. I spun around to face him, and he sharply looked at the ground. I glanced up at Indiana, who was studying me.

No pity, no confusion. Understanding.

She understood me. I felt my shoulders relax.

Dia nodded slowly, inhaling a little before she said, "now we just have to see the bunks right?"

Minho nodded, and we followed him into the sleeping area. Some guys were sitting around, either recovering from some freak injury or just having finished their jobs.

We had just gotten underneath the roof when I spotted Alby walking over. I paced towards him, about twenty feet away, my back towards the other two.

"Newt, here you are. We need to discuss sleeping arrangements."

I stiffened. "What do you have in mind?" I asked quietly.

"I was thinking either your room or Minho's. Or Gally's, I guess. She could also sleep outside, by the Homestead but not quite near the others."

I scowled. "No. She can share with Minho or I. Definitely not Gally, he'd hurt her or something terrible. And there is no way in hell she'll be sleeping outside by the other shanks."

Alby smiled softly, towards the ground.

He looked up at me, grinning.

"Newt, you can't love someone you just met. And don't say you don't because I'm not shucking blind."


	7. The Play

**Minho's POV**

Newt walked over to Alby, leaving Indi and me with the guys sittings in their hammocks. They all looked up at her expectantly, as if she was supposed to put on a show or something else even more messed up.

One of the guys, Bradley, scooted off his hammock, sitting lightly on the floor in front of him. He motioned to the others to follow his lead, and when they were all sitting in a circle by him, he beckoned to Indi.

"Come here, Greenie. We're playing a game."

Indi studied him, only hesitating for a second. Slowly but gracefully, she knelt on the ground, in between Michael and Ray. I narrowed my eyes.

What the hell kinda game were they going to play? We didn't have games in the glade. What was going to happen?

Bradley, opposite the circle from Indi, took out an empty bottle, out of Gally's famous beer mix most likely.

He set it down, in the middle of the circle.

"It's simple. Whoever the two ends of the bottles point two have to kiss. No boys can kiss though. I mean, if they want to, but... whatever. That's the game."

I stepped forward, feeling my anger rise. I glared at him, but he pretended he didn't see me.

Damnit! I was responsible for her. They weren't allowed to fuck with her! She wouldn't be presented as someone they could get with "easily," I'd make sure of it.

"Indi, no. We're not doing this." I spoke harshly.

"It's fine, Min. They think this will be fun, let them believe that." She responded easily, her face expressionless.

To my shock, she leaned forward, her hands on her folded knees. Bradley swung the bottle, and sent it spinning around on the ground.

It spun quickly at first, then slowly came to a stop, one side pointing to Oliver, and the other - I stepped to the side to see the angled bottle tip- at Indiana. I sighed. What was she doing, playing this?

Shuck. Newt'll kill me.

Indiana beckoned seductively to Oliver, and he scrambled across the floor towards her, grinning like a madman, licking his lips. I wanted to throw up in my mouth, it was gross.

She caressed his cheek delicately, and his eyes just about rolled into his head.

She leaned into him, studying his eyes, lips, nose. Slowly, she edged closer, and softly muttered into his ear, "are you sure about this? You want me?"

He nodded estatically, and gazed into her eyes, with his filled with lust, as she knelt up, back straight.

She grabbed his hands, and I, who was a couple of feet away, saw her eyes.

Filled with rage and disgust.

So she wasn't enjoying this?

She twirled her hands up to his elbows, leaning in again. With slow passion, and almost professional experience, she kissed Oliver, the boy grinning into her false affection.

As the kiss went on though, the other boys getting red in the face with jealousy and a denied experience, Indiana pushing deeper into Oliver's chest, I noticed something.

He couldn't breathe.

Indiana grabbed his shirt in one hand, his shoulder in the other.

His smile started to disappear, and his eyes burst open.

He gently pushed her, but she kept at it, not releasing him, not allowing him air.

He became pale, and Indi's eyes opened slowly, and I could see a ironic laughter growing in them. I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. He was going to suffocate.

That's when there was a commotion to my left. I turned, and saw Alby and Newt storming over, a couple of feet away. Newt was furious, but I could see hurt and pain in his darkened eyes. His rage was evident.

"What the hell, Oliver?!" He yelled at the boy.

I stared at Oliver, who was still being kissed by Indiana. His face was pale, almost blue. Indiana finally released him, and pulled away, fixing her top. Oliver fell backwards, gasping, spluttering, trying to fill his lungs with much needed air.

Indiana wipes her mouth, standing and surveying her damage. The guys all looked at her, with eyes either filled with shock, terror, or amazement, or perhaps all three.

She smiled, too serene and sweet for almost killing a boy, even if he did deserve it.

Newt stared at her, obviously entranced by even a cute little flash of teeth. I rolled my eyes subtly.

"I asked him if he really wanted me. He nodded, agreeing. You will not take advantage of me being the only girl. You will not. Because if you try, I will take advantage of you, and you'll end up like your friend Oliver here. I am not something to be played with. I am not a toy, a sex one no less.

"If you think I am here to pleasure you, you are wrong, and very stupid. I deserve respect, which apparently isn't guarenteed. I should not have to prove anything to you. I am a person, and I'm stuck in this hellhole, same as you.

I suggest you don't try anything, or I will make this place a lot less peaceful than it was before."

And with that, Indiana whipped around, leaving us to stare after her, with her hair bouncing over her shoulders as she walked towards the Homestead.

Oliver, after finally recovering himself, breathed out, "fuck, I'm so hard right now."

All the guys clambered around him, and to my disgust, began saying stuff like "dude, same, just from watching that," and "how was it?"

I felt my face contort with repulsion as this continued. Thankfully, Newt charged forward, his face red and his eyes blazing. The boys scattered, leaving Oliver uncovered. He grabbed Oliver by the collar, and brought his face mere inches from his own.

"Stay away from her, slinthead. If I hear you-" he turned and looked up at the other Gladers, "-or anyone else tries anything, I swear I will throw you in the maze myself. She is to be protected."

With that, he threw the boy down, and stood, dignified.

Alby stared at him, obviously concerned for his second's enfatuation with Indi.

I spoke up, after clearing my throat to get his attention. "I'm going to stay with her. We haven't told her the rules yet, and she probably wants company, she's only been here for an hour." As I said this, I was shocked. An hour? That was all? But everything had changed so much, so quickly.

I turned and walked out from under the lean-to, glad to be back under the sun. I searched the Glade, looking for my charge. Where was she?

I walked towards the Homestead, as I had seen her dissapear in that direction.

Entering the shabby building, I looked into each of the rooms, waiting to see a dirty blonde with striking facial features and curious eyes.

I walked up the slightly tilted stairs, cutting into a hallway. Trying not to make the wood creak obnoxiously, as it was prone to do, I stopped.

I heard sniffling, almost like a cry, a sob.

My heart frozen, I bolted into the room that served as a source of the noise, and stopped his inside the doorframe.

Instead of seeing Indi crying, as I was expecting, I saw her comforting a boy, who I recognized as Clint, the medjack. Both of their backs were turned toward me, but I saw their proximity, and I heard her comforting words. Her hand was on top of his, and she faced him as he sat forward. He leaned against her, crying.

I felt bad then. We ignored sobs, disregarded them as we fought to keep our spirits from breaking, our lives from ending. I didn't comfort the boys. No one did.

In that moment, I knew.

She was a light, a light that could ignite a passion, burn an enemy, kill a shadow. She was a light that could hide the darkness of the Glade.

She was our hope.

Maybe this wasn't all a lost cause. Maybe I didn't have to mask my feelings, my terrors, my true emotions.

Maybe now, when I went into the maze, a small part of me wouldn't want to get killed by a Greiver, crushed by a wall, or locked into the creeping vines.

Maybe this life had a point.

She would help us. She would be our light.


	8. The Rulebook

**Indiana's POV**

"I won't tell, Clint. Thank you sharing with me, though. I can't begin to understand how hard that was for you," I spoke softly, still clasping his left hand.

He looked up at me, briefly. "I trust you, Indi. But Jeff could never know. He probably doesn't feel the same way. And if the other boys found out, everything would change."

I shifted my focus towards the window.

"I have made a promise. I don't break promises, ever."

I looked towards him.

"I have something to confide in you as well, if you would bear this with me," I spoke, wanting to trust him with what I was really feeling, not bringing down my facade to anyone but him.

He wiped his tears, his eyes on mine.

"Of course. What's bothering you?"

I looked into my lap, slowly retracting my hand from on top of Clint's. "Do you have a more private setting? The walls have ears."

He looked confused, but stood, beckoning me to comply.

"Follow me. We'll go to the medical hut."

I nodded, relieved.

I wanted to trust someone. I knew I could trust him.

I followed him out of the room, passing by Minho, who was suspiciously just rounding the stairs.

"Oh! Indi? Why are you in here?" He pretended to sound surprised, but he was obviously faking.

I didn't say anything, but as Clint lifted an eyebrow at me, waiting for my response, to see if I'd hint at our conversation, I had to say something.

"I was introduced to Clint here. I learned what a medjack is. That's a pretty cool job. Anyway, Minho, what can I do for you?"

Through my periferal vision, I saw Clint's shoulders relax. Why did he doubt me? Did he seriously think I'd expose him?

Min cleared his throat. "I'm... oh, I'm waiting to explain rules and jobs and such. Ya know, just Greenie stuff."

"Right," I replied shortly. "Of course. Clint, I'll see you later, kay?"

He hesitated, and, stepping forward, ignored me. "Minho, we were just going to talk for a little while. Surely you wouldn't mind." Minho stared at him, rather pointedly. "I do, actually."

I coughed, and they both turned towards me.

"I need to know what rules I can break, Clint. Life's more fun that way."

He smiled and laughed, shaking his head.

"Would you like to eat dinner with me?" I asked politely, winking.

Clint understood my meaning, and nodded, smiling still.

"I would be truly honored, M'Lady," he joked.

"Perfect. Bye Clint." Minho cut in, rather rudely.

Clint walked away, rolling his eyes.

Once he had disappeared down the hallway, I turned towards Minho.

"Why are you so rude to everyone else?" I asked, not even bothering to mask my distrust.

He scoffed, raising my eyebrows.

"I've never kissed someone to death," he shot back.

"Neither have I! He didn't die, sadly," I reforged, my face flushing with the internal fire I was trying to hide.

Minho stepped closer, his eyes furious. He spoke quietly, which, though I didn't show it, was terrifying.

"You are changing everything. Do you not understand, Indiana? You have made yourself a target. By being your 'brave' self, you have become an object, which the rest of the shanks view as a prize."

I drew in a breath, his proximity too much for me.

"This isn't up to you, Minho," I spat out callously. "I will do as I see fit. You are not the one being objectified, you have probably never been. You don't understand."

Once I finished, I froze. What had I just said?

Minho's eyes lost some of their anger. "What?" He questioned. "You remember something? What are you talking about?"

I looked down, at the cracks and splinters in the wood by my feet.

Minho gently shoved on my shoulder, which forced me to look at him.

I narrowed my eyes at nothing, confused.

"I don't know where that came from," I admitted. "I'm sorry."

Minho scrunched up his face in surprise and confusion. He was about to speak when Newt interrupted, seemingly just coming up the stairs.

"What's going on here?" He asked, his voice full of concern and suspicion. I turned towards him, and saw his gaze resting on Minho's hand, which was still clenching my shoulder.

Noticing this too, Minho quickly released it, and straightened to his full height.

"Newt, we have to explain the rules and jobs, then that will be it for the intro." He said slowly.

As a reply, Newt nodded, then stared at me, his eyes begging to know what had happened between Minho and I.

"Does that sound okay with you, Dia?" He asked, his voice soft and gentle.

I was still staring into his beautiful eyes when he asked me, so I started and quickly nodded, embarrassed I was caught staring.

"Alright then," Minho spoke quite loudly, right by my ear. "Let's go then. We'll sit under the tree."

As I followed him and Newt down the stairs, I smiled at how that had become our spot.

We walked across the grassy area, to the same tree I had sit under a little more than an hour ago.

I sat by its base, with the leaves shading me from the sun.

Once the other two were settled, I asked my question.

"So what are the rules here?"

Minho looked at Newt expectantly, and Newt answered.

"Rule one is that you can't hurt another Glader. We have to have trust, or else this whole place would be a war zone. If anyone does attack someone, they'd be punished by Alby, who'd either put them in the slammer-" he pointed to the mini jail cell I had noticed "-or just give them a light sentence but no meals."

I nodded. "Okay. I'm assuming there's more though."

Newt smiled kindly. "Of course. The second one is that once you get assigned to a job, you have to work your very hardest, every day. No slacking, no horsing around."

He waited for me to acknowledge that I understood, so I nodded again.

"The last one is you can't ever leave the Glade. That means never go through those doors."

I narrowed my eyes. "So it is a kind of trap?"

Newt sighed. "I'm not suggesting anything Dia, but it really was curious how you knew all that from being here for ten seconds."

At first, I started, but I knew he really wasn't suspicious.

"Newt, I promise, I was just trying to form a logical hypothesis. I figured since it's a controlled environment, there must be something keeping you here.

"It really wasn't more than that. I thought about some type of danger, as in a creature, which would make sense. But since their open, I assumed that WCKD wants you to explore it." I finished, stopping myself from rambling.

Newt and Minho both raised their eyebrows.

I looked down, thinking hard.

If we're supposed to go out there, what are we trying to find? There has to be a point to this. The recources it would take to keep 30 guys alive and well would be insanely expensive, and there was even a fake sky. A fake sky. They literally built a set-up for the Gladers.

"I want to go out there," I murmured subconsciously.

"What?" Newt asked me.

I glanced up at him.

This time I spoke louder. "I want to go out there."

Newt tightened his jaw, squeezing his eyes shut.

Minho sucked in a breath, and I swiveled in the grass to face him. "What?! I want to get you guys out of here. They want us to, that's the goal!"

He shook his head, depressed. I blinked. I thought he'd be mad.

"There's no way out, Indi. Why do you think no ones happy around here? It's because we'll never leave. We're stuck."

He looked so upset. I instantly felt guilty, but I was still so frustrated.

I clamped my hand on my knee. "But... I can help! I know I can! What if we do find something?"

He sighed, and his eyes became misty.

Newt spoke then, softly, staring right at me.

"Dia, you don't deserve this. You should be living in a grand house, with a happy family and a bloody perfect boyfriend. It's horrible that you're here, but you're comforting and kind, which isn't common in the Glade."

He continued, placing his hand on top of mine.

"You're strong, and brave. But you're also all we've got to be comforted by. Nick, our old leader, died a month ago. We can't lose you too, not now."


End file.
